Aitor Karanka watched Lee Tomlin rescue a point for Nottingham Forest in last night's home match against Reading. 

Forest's woes in front of goal looked set to continue as Omar Richards' first half goal had them staring down the barrel of a defeat before the Cardiff loanee popped up to level the score.

Karanka worked with the enigmatic Tomlin before during the pair's time together at Middlesbrough and the former Real Madrid man is clearly a fan.

The prospect of a permanent swoop was raised after Tomlin opened his Forest account and Karanka failed to deny the prospect of doing a deal in the summer.

When asked about the possibility of Tomlin joining Forest in the summer, Karanka told the Nottingham Post: "I don’t know because he is a Cardiff player.

"I have spoken with him and he knew that he was going to enjoy his football with me again but we need to be calm. He is a good player and he trusts me. It is good for the team to have somebody like this.

"In this moment he is man of the match, but in two or three games he could be on the bench. I know him and how he works and we need to keep our feet on the floor.

"He is a good player and I like him a lot but we need to take things step by step. He is the kind of player I like a lot, because he is a man who can manage the pressure."

The Verdict

Tomlin and Karanka have always seemed like chalk and cheese but they seem to have a good relationship and I certainly wouldn't be surprised if the playmaker signed a permanent deal at the City Ground in the summer.

He looks slightly at odds with the approach of Forest's younger players, who are full of energy, but Karanka is facing the prospect of Kieran Dowell returning to Everton next season and that may open up the prospect of a deal for Tomlin, who can slot in on the left hand side.

Forest fans - would you want Tomlin in on a full-time deal? Let us know in the comments below...